38 ‘THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION. 
Professor Delitzsch, a well-known German historian and Assyri- 
ologist, on his return from the recent excavations in Chaldea, 
delivered two lectures in presence of the Kaiser and Court, entitled 
“Babel and Bible.” In the address he exhorted his audience not 
to cling to antiquated dogmas which lacked any scientific basis, 
expressing his belief that theology was progressive; other remarks I 
-may refer to subsequently. The Kaiser himself published a reply 
in which he rebukes the Professor, alleging the excellent lecturer in 
his zeal rather forgot the principle that it is really very important to 
make a careful distinction between what is appropriate to the place, 
the public, etc., and what is not. It is to me self-evident that the 
Old Testament contains a number of passages which are of the 
nature of purely human history and are not God’s revealed word. 
This will certainly undergo considerable alterations under the in- 
fluence of research and inscription. 
His Majesty’s attempt to explain how the Mosaic Laws (claimed 
to be delivered on Mount Sinai) should be symbolically regarded— 
when they are clearly shown to have existed during the reign of 
Hammurabi, King of Chaldea, more than 2000 years B. C.—seems . 
slightly illogical. 
We now come to the reply by Professor Harnak. The writer 
in the London Times claims he is one of the foremost scholars and 
men of letters of his day and an authority on Biblical criticism— 
enjoying the personal friendship of his sovereign. The professor 
begins by reminding his readers that the Babylonian origin of many 
of the myths and legends of the Old Testament has long been 
recognized. He adds that in the general opinion of scholars the 
fact is recognized as fatal to the popular conception of the inspira- 
tion of the Old Testament. He complains that church and school, 
in alliance with one another, have suppressed the knowledge of 
these facts by banishing them from their domain. He thinks 
theology cannot slur over these questions, and while he agrees with 
the Emperor that religion requires to be expressed in forms, he 
thinks Professor Delitzsch has achieved his main object when it is 
acknowledged that the traditional forms in which the Old Testa- 
ment has been authoritively handed down are urgently in need of 
alteration. 
I have already encroached on the patience of my hearers by 
